North Korean hackers are trying to steal bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

September 15, 2017

keranews.org

Source: keranews.org

It’s no secret that in recent years, North Korea has stepped up efforts to expand its nuclear weapons stockpile. More quietly, though, it’s been stashing another commodity: bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. According to a report by the security firm FireEye Inc., North Korean hackers have been targeting South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges. “These are essentially places where people can buy or sell cryptocurrencies ... like bitcoin or ethereum. It"s similar to how you might trade on the stock market, but specifically for cryptocurrencies,” says Luke McNamara, the FireEye analyst who wrote the report. FireEye has confirmed that South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges have come under attack at least three times in recent months. Researchers believe the North Korean hacking group behind these attacks is working alongside the Kim Jong-un regime. Related: Bitcoin"s having a crazy 2017 “Because this is based out of North Korea and a lot of other targeting we’ve seen them conduct has been